Need helping choosing between PS topics please Forum

[LawSchoolDetective]

Good morning,

I've been checking out TLS for while now. I have learned a great deal from reading all of your posts, but finally decided to post a question of my own. I am preparing my personal statement, but I can't decide on what topic to focus on. I have two distinct life interests; music and law enforcement. On the music side, I am somewhat of an accomplished music producer and songwriter. I originally attended undergrad as an audio engineering music major on scholarship, though I did not complete the program. I decided to pursue music on my own time and since then, I have secured several of my own copyrights, have run my own production company, and I am published, having recently licensed music to the likes of Apple and People Magazine. I've worked with some affluent music and film producers on some well known television projects as well. I have considered trying to segue my experience in the music industry as a music attorney (litigation).

Then there is the law enforcement side. I am working on 10 years of law enforcement experience. My undergrad degree, which I will finish in a few weeks, is in Criminal Justice. I have experience in many different areas of the profession. My most relevant experience, as it pertains to law school, comes from my time as a Burglary and Special Victims detective. I've successfully investigated hundreds of criminal cases and testified at several different levels of court in two different states. I decided a few years back that I really wanted to leave traditional law enforcement, and become a prosecutor. I really enjoy the stress of testifying in court, preparing cases with ADA's, working deals with defense attorney's, the whole deal. I've got a myriad of different personal experiences that I could write about that could effectively explain my desire to become a prosecutor.

One of the most obvious questions that I expect is, "Which area of law do you expect to go into?" Therein lies the problem; I don't yet know. I would love to do both at some point. In terms of getting into law school, I can't determine which PS would best serve me. My resume and education all show some element of law enforcement, so I was afraid that a LE themed PS might make me seem one dimensional. At the end of the day, if either was written well, does it matter? Do you think one would have an edge over the other? Should I write about both? I look forward to any suggestions you all may have. Thanks.

[erik the viking]

It seems like your law enforcement background would be easier to relate to your reasoning for going to law school. An essay about your music career might stand out more. Ultimately, how well you write the essay will matter more than the topic. As far as what specific area you want to go into, if you're afraid of sounding undecided or wishy-washy, why not just pick one area for now and write about it? You're allowed to have different ambitions and to change your mind. Just don't lie.

If you're having trouble, why not start two essays? It'll probably quickly become clear to you which topic will be easier for you to write a great essay for.

[szb5058]

your personal statement should really show admissions why going to law school is a natural extension of your life! don't try to force topics to fit the mold...it may be better to take a unique spin on a more mundane topic than to force something that may be unique, but less fitting.

found a fantastic guide on personal statement topics, and how to write them at http://lawschooladvice.com/guides/personal-statements/

definitely suggest you take a look if you're struggling whatsoever with your statement